When looking at one of the miniature models from the Miniature Killer, Grissom seeing a cat miniature he asks Hodges if he has a cat. He says he has one named Kobi which is short for Kobayashi Maru. This is a Star Trek reference. The Kobayashi Maru is a training exercise in the fictional Star Trek universe designed to test the character of Starfleet Academy cadets in a no-win scenario. Kirk passed the excerise by changing the rules because he doesn't believe in a no win scenario, he always cheats death. The Kobayashi Maru test was first depicted in the opening scene of the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and later appears in the 2009 film Star Trek.
This episode begins February 15, 2007, in the CSI universe, corresponding with the airing date of the episode.